Amphibian airplane



lzsssss Nav. 22, 1932. "Tp fowl.:

AMPHIBIAN AIRPLANE Filed Feb. 7, 1930 l l I I l l l l l l \\l PatentedNov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOM TOWLE, F DETROIT,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 TOWLE AIRCRAFT COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ACORPORATION OF MICHIGAN AMPHIBIAN AIRILANE Application led February?,1930. Serial No. 426,454.

This invention relates to amphibian airplanes, that is to say that itisthat type of airplane adapted to land on both sea and land.

The object of this invention is to'arrange so that the landing wheelscan be conveniently withdrawn into an inoperative position in floatswhen landing on the sea and can be re` turned to the operative`when'requiredl for land use with the least possible effort on the partof the pilot. y f

Figure l is a layoutl showing the essential elements of this invention.Y

Figure 2 shows in partial section the front l elevation of the airplaneto which thislinvention is applied.- x

Figure 3 shows a side elevation showing in full linesthe landing wheelsin an operative position, and in dotted lines the wheels in theinoperative position.

Figure 4 shows the control valve in the position for raising the wheels.

, 4, 5 and 6) this control valve is provided with 'i connections, E, J,G, H, and a passage W through/the center.

Pipe E enters the control valve F on top, the return pipe. G leavingfrom the bottom. When the valve F is in the position as shown in Figure5, the oil freely circulates through C, D, B, W, G, and back to C. Theother 2 pipes H and J communicate with the opposite side of the piston Kwhich is adapted to slide in a cylinder L. A pressure gauge locate onthe dash is connected to each of these pipes H and J. The piston rod Kis pivotally connected with a triangular truss M, which carries thelanding wheel O. rl`his truss is carried inside a housing U which issupported by the wing R and also by the d from the valve F to eachwheelA control.

truss T which extends out from the hull N and through which the wheel Opasses, and supports the wing float N having an opening N. The truss Mis pivotally connected to the wing float N at thepoint Q, the housingsU-U extend from wing R to the wing iioats'N-N and support the same. Ahydraulic shock absorber S of ,a well known type is mounted at the upperend of the cylinder'L. The upper end of this shock absorber S ispivotally connected at the point P with the wing kB. In order to preventexcessive pressure in the pipe system due to the pump action, a returnpipe X is provided with a suitable pressure relief valve(Fig. l)

Operation As already stated when the valve F -is in the position shownin Figure 5, the oil circulates freely from B to E through F and back tothe tankv C by w`,ay of the pipe G passing through the passage W in thecen ter of the valve F sition, the piston K is not moved andis thereforelocked. When the valve is inffthe position shown in Figure 4, oil passesfrom E to J (ahdalsofrom H to G andso back to C) The piston K is thusforced up inside the cylinder L thus raising the wheel O and permittingthe plane to land on the water.

When'the valve is in the position shown in F igurel 6, oil lows from Eto H and also from J to G and so back to C. The piston K is thus forced,down in L and the wheels are vlowered into the position shown in Figure3 and the plane is converted back into a land machine oncemore. l Y Whenthe valve is in the position shown in Figure 7 the oil iows from J to Hand thus allows the piston to be lowered by gravity. It will be notedthat the wheels are inv duplicate and hence both wheels are movedsimultaneously, duplicate pipes extendling or the sake of simplicityonly one set of piping is shown.

What I claim is: l. An amphibian airplane having wings, wing ioatshaving a fixed position relative to the wings, a pair of wheels eachmounted 100 with the valve in this poi on a truss pivotally supportedboth by said Wing floats and b said Wings, a suitable opening in each osaid Wing Heats, means :for withdrawing the Wheels through saidopenings.

2. An amphibian airplane having Wings, wing Hoa-ts in combinationtherewith having a fixed position relative to the Wings, a pair ofwheels each mounted on a truss pivotally supported both by said WingHeats and by said Wings, a suitable openin in each of said wing Heats,means for withdrawing the Wheels through said openings, shock absorbermeans located at the points on the Wings to which the trusses arepvotally connectedL In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

- TGM TGVVLE.

